METALLICA's ULRICH: 'I'm The Hugest U2 Fan — I Would Borderline Call Myself A Groupie'

Australia's Faster Louder went backstage at a METALLICA gig this week to get up close and personal with the band's drummer, Lars Ulrich. Over the course of 15 very funny minutes, he talked about everything from the band's documentary, "Some Kind Of Monster", to why he is unashamedly the world's biggest U2 fan. A six-minute condensed version of the chat can be viewed below.

"I'm, like, the hugest U2 fan — I would borderline call myself a groupie, actually," Lars can be heard saying during the interview. "Playing with U2… I would fucking play on the parking lot. They're one of the only other bands that are still functioning after 30 years, just like we are, and I feel a lot of kinship in what they do and I just really admire and appreciate… They're really inspiring to me. I love their music, I love their way of reinventing themselves, and I love their way or thinking big and small. And it sort of works on all levels."

As previously reported, METALLICA has posted an explanation online of the now-infamous "beachball incident" that occurred during the band's November 11 concert in Sydney, Australia. Video footage showed guitarist Kirk Hammett kicking a large black beachball off the stage, which in turn knocked a little girl who standing onstage into the pit. The footage of the incident spread quickly across the Internet, although it was clear from the video that the whole thing was accidental.

The band wrote, "Some of you will have seen on YouTube (or read in some reports) that Kirk knocked a small child offstage by kicking a beachball at her. That little lady is the daughter of the stage manager and dressing coordinator, who are fortunate to travel as a family on this tour. She was thoroughly enjoying watching the beachballs drop from the rafters, Kirk was thoroughly enjoying kicking the beachballs off the stage and back into the crowd as has been done every night on the tour, and neither of them saw the other. The poor wee one happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. She wasn't hurt. She didn't go 'flying several feet into the audience.' And Kirk and she remain good buddies."

The band's statement added, "It's very cool that everyone showed concern and support though, so we just wanted to say 'it's all good' and thanks for asking."

METALLICA's current run through Australia and New Zealand will complete the two-year touring cycle behind the band's 2008 album, "Death Magnetic", although the band may do some touring in 2011 and is confirmed to headline Rock In Rio next September.

METALLICA will release a nine-track live EP recorded in Nashville, titled "Live At Grimey's", on November 26.